Planograpii co



E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0F LARGE CAUBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 6. 1911.

1 ,3 l 0, 88% Patented July 22, 1919.

8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

| T i i i i 'rru: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKlNG APPARA iUS FOR GUNS OF LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1917.

l ,3 l 0,88%, Patented July 22, 1919.

8 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGHAPII c0., WA$HINGTON, u C- E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS OF LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, I917.

1 ,3 1 O, 884; Patented July 22, 1919.

B SHEETSSHEET 3.

HIE \JOLL'MIUA PLANOGRAPII co., WASHINGTON, n. C.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FoR cums 0F LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6. I91].

Patented J My 22, 1919.

8 SHEETSSHEET 4.

I'llli COLUMBIA I'LANUGRAPII c0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR suns 0F LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6. I917.

Patented July 22, 1919.

8 SHEETSSHEET 5.

a'roN, n. c.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0F LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 6. 1917. 1,310,884, Patented July 22, 1919.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., -.sH|NdroN. b. C.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0F LARGE CALIBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6. 19x1.

1 ,3 1 O, 884 Patented July 22, 1919.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7,

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPIK cc.. WASHINGTON, D c.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS 0F LARGE CALIBER APPLICATION FILEDAUG. 6. 1917.

1,310,884. A Patented July 22,1919.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

ma coLumnlA FLANDGRAPII c0., WASHINGTON. D. c

UNIT

fiAFS T FFTQE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, 01: LE CREUZOT, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER & CIE.,OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

SAFETY LOCKING APPARATUS FOR GUNS OF LARGE CALIBER.

- Application filed August 6, 1917.

To all who/1t it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Republic,residing at Le Creuzot, Saone-et-Loire, France, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in According to this invention the usual catchbetween the gun cradle and the elevating sectors, is utilized foroperating a device for locking the firing apparatus. For this purposethe elements of the said catch that are respectively carried by thecradle and the elevating sectors, are arranged in such a manner as torelease the mechanism that actuates the firing apparatus only after thecatch has been closed, while inversely they lock the said mechanism bythe mere fact of their being opened; this opening being capable of beingeffected mechanically or by hand when the breech of the gun barrel israised for loading.

Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying (lrawings in which Figures 1 to 8 show the firsten'ibodiment.

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a gun provided with the improvedlocking apparatus, the parts of the said apparatus being shown inposition for firing, that is to say, in any position in which the firingapparatus is released.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line II1I "of Fig. 1.

of the catch between the gun cradle and the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Serial No. 184,651.

elevating sectors, and of release of the firing apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line XX of Fig. 9. v

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the parts in the open position .of thecatch between the cradle and the sectors, the firing apparatus beinglocked.

Fig. 12 is a vertical section .on the line XIIXII of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is asection on the line XIII-XIII of Fig. 10.

Figs; 14 and 15 are sections respectively on the lines XIV-XIV and XV-XVof Fig. 11.

Fig. 16 is an elevational view with parts broken away showing the mannerof connecting shaft K and pinion N.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of Fig. 16.

Figs. 18, 19 and 20 are detail views on an enlarged scale, Fig. 19 beingan enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 1919 of Fig. 16, Fig.20 a similar view but showing the parts in a different position, andFig. 18 a developed View of a cam surface provided on pulley P.

In the several figures, A is the gun barrel and B is the cradle or mountjournaled in a carriage C. On the trunnions B f the cradle are pivotedthe elevating sectors D connected together by plating D and adapted tobe operated by any suitable known mechanism, such as EE E E The firingapparatus proper may be of any suitable known type and may comprise forinstance a hannner F fulcrumed on a fixed axis. I11 the example shownthis hammer is assumed to be operable by means of a push rod G actingupon a lever F fixed to the hammer, and guided in a bracket B providedon'the cradle B. The rod G is operable by'means of a handle G The devicefor locking the'mechanism for operating the firing apparatus during theloading of the gun, comprises essentially a locking bolt or a springstop controlled by the catch between the cradle B and the sectors D.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, the lockingpart proper consists of a rocking beam HH fulcrumed on a pin it carriedby a bracket B formed on the cradle. A spring stud H has a constanttendency to push the arm H of the rocking beam into a )osition forlocking the rod G (Figs. 5 and 6) wherein it is located in the path of anose 9 on the said rod. Normally, that is to say when the gun issituated in any firing position, the arm H of the rocking beam is caughtby the catch between the cradle B and the elevating sectors D. In theexample shown in Figs. 1 to 8, this catch comprises on the connectingplating D between the sectors, a movable member I operable by hand ormechanically, so shaped as to present at the same time a nose 2' forengaging the nose Z) on the cradle, and a nose 2' for engaging therocking beam I-I'H The member 1 is in reality a pusher guided by meansof a sleeve I against a stud I fixed to the plating; an opposing springbeing provided in the sleeve and adapted to hear at one end against thesaid stud, and at its other end against the inner end of the saidsleeve.

The member I is assumed to be operated by hand means likewise carried bythe plating D This means comprises a link J jointed at one end to thepusher and preferably fast at the other end to a shaft K moving incollars is carried by the plating D This shaft is rotated by hand bymeans of a crank handle L. A spring K has a constant tendency to keepthe said catch between the cradle and the sectors in position ofengagement (Figs. 1 to 4-) this position correspon-dnig as alreadystated, to the position of release of the mechanism for operating thefiring apparatus.

The shaft K is, on the other hand, in the normal position shown in Figs.1 to 4,1ocked by means of a finger K in a socket 'm formed in the sectorM that is formed on or fixed to the cradle B and serves for raising thegun barrel into the position for loading.

Then the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and it bedesired to load the gun, the catch between the cradle B and the sectorsD is opened in the usual manner. But, according to this invention, thisopening of the catch produces at the same time a locking of the firingapparatus. Therefore it will be understood that if the shaft K isactuated by turning the crank handle in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 4, the spring push member I will-'be moved from right to left.Consequently in disengaging the nose z' from the nose I) of the cradle,the nose 6 will at the same time be moved away from the end of the arm Hof the rocking beam HH The action of the spring stud II will cause therocking beam H- to rock into the position shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8,which has the result of bringing the free end'of the arm H. into thepath of the nose 9 on the operating rod GG of the mechanism foroperating the firing apparatus. By the rotation of the shaft K, thelinger K ias been disengaged from the socket 112. of the raising sector.During the raising operation, the sector M by rubbing against the lingerK, prevents the opposing springs K and I from coming into action.

apparatus into the position shown in Figs.

Instead of actuating the shaft K by hand by means of a crank handle L,it is obvious that the said shaft may be actuated by the means foractuating the raising mechanism, that 15 to say, it may be placed underthe control of the pinion N which is actuated 1n the usual mannerO-PQRS.

Referring to Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. pinion IT transmits itsmovei'nent to shaft K as follows.

Pinion N is fast to a sleeve 0 which can slide in the hub 71 of sprocketwheel P connected by chain Q with sprocket wheel R keyed on the axle ofliand-operated drive wheel S.

An arm K fast to shaft K and solid with locking finger K which isadapted to engage in opening 122., constantly engages in a groove 0 inhub O. M

The hub C) furthermore carries at its opposite end two fingers whichbear on cam surfaces P symmetrically formed on the interior wall ofsprocket wheel I. A spring 0 loca ed in the hub 0 tends constantly toforce pinion N into the position shown .in F 15). The teeth of pinion Nare not. as wide as those on sector M.

The extension of the spring is only possible at the moment when finger Kis opposite openmg m.

" The rotation of shaft K and the simultaneous disengagement of finger Kfrom notch m resultfrom the operation of cams P on fingers of hub 0 fastto pinion N, which latter is immobilized by the fact that its teeth arein mesh with those of sector M stationary at this moment. On turning thewheel S, and thereby the transmission RQP, the two symmetrical cams pare rotated and the two fingers O are elevated. They thus come into theposition shown in Fig, 20 and actuate, through hub O, the arm K andfinger K By continuing to turn wheel S, fingers O engage shoulders bygear, such as- 79 formed at the summit of cams P and in consequencepinion N is forced into movement from rotation of sprocket Wheel P. T heelevating sectors being held from movement by the vertical pointingmechanism, the pinion l elevates the sector M which glides in front offinger K thus holding it out of engagement.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 to 15, the member I has the form ofa cock shaft working in the sides of the plating D The catch between thecradle B and the member I is formed by means of recessed members I)engaging full portions 2' of the cock shaft I. A rotation of the memberI through 180 degrees will bring recesses i in shaft I opposite therecesses in members 7) thereby permitting shaft I to release cradle B. Acam 2' formed on the member I, will normally raise a spring stop HH andthus give freedom of movement to the operating member G of the actuatingrod G G of the mechanism for operating the firing apparatus.

It will be perceived that by disengaging finger K from the socket mformed in the raising sector M, and at the same time operating the crankhandle L and a chain gear L L a pinion I fixed to the member I isactuated, whereby the member I is moved into the position shown in Figs.11., 1st and 15. In this position the catch between the cradle 13 andthe elevating sectors D is opened, at the same time as the spring pushH-H has moved with its upper ,end into the path of the nose 9 formed onthe operating member G of the rod G.

The gun in this modification is returned from loading to normal positionin the same manner as in the construction shown in Figs. 1S, by manualpower applied through hand-wheel S, and transmission R, Q, P, and pinionN to sector M.

What I claim is 1. In safety apparatus for preventing the prematureactuation of the firing means of guns during loading, the con'l-binationof a gun cradle provided with a gun having firing means, elevatingsectors for said cradle and gun, and means for imparting relativemovement between the cradle and sectors, a spring-pressed catch membercarried by said sectors and adapted to engage said cradle to lock thesame to the sectors for firing, manual means for operating said catclrmember, a spring-pressed safety member normally tending to move into thepath of said firing means to prevent its operation and adapted to beengaged by said catch member and held out of said path when the cradleand sectors are locked for firing and when released from said catch tomove into said path, and automatic means for preventing the reengagementof said catch member and the safety member during the loading operation.

2. In safety apparatus for preventing the pren'iature actuation of thefiring means of guns during loading, the combination of a gun cradleprovided with a gun having firing means, elevating sectors for saidcradle and gun, and rack-and-pinion means for imparting relativemovement of the cradle and sectors, a spring-pressed push rod on saidsectors having locking engagement with said cradle, manual means foroperating said rod, a spring-pressed safety member on said cradlenormally tending to move into the path of said firing means to preventits operation and adapted to be engaged by said push rod and held out ofsaid path when said rod is in looking position for firing, and means forholding said push rod out of engagement with said safety member whensaid rod is out of locking position for loading of the gun.

3. In safety apparatus for preventing the premature actuation of thefiring means of guns during loading, the combination of a gun cradleprovided with a gun having firing means, elevating sectors for saidcradle and gun, and means for imparting relative movement between thecradle and sectors, a springpressed catch member mounted on said sectorsand adapted for locking engagement with said cradle for firing, aspring-pressed safety locking member normally tending to move into thepath of said firing means to prevent operation of the latter, meansoperated by the cradle moving means for operating said catch memberwhereby the latter may engage said safety member to move the latter outof said path for firing. and automatic means for preventing theoperation of said catch means when said cradle and sectors are out offiring position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. P. PREssLY, ANDRE Mosrrcmm.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

